Hypothetical Questions and Their Unexpected Answers
by V. Tsai
Summary: A series of drabbles all themed around the title. NOW UP: Kogoro x Eri.


Kogoro was seated at his desk, sulking slightly. The glasses brat was out somewhere and Ran was at karate practice, yet he himself didn't have anything to do. He was scheduled to receive a visit from a mysterious client, probably an elderly woman complaining about her missing cat, and Yoko Okino's drama had been canceled for the week, much to Kogoro's chagrin. Not to mention that the racehorse track was closed for construction for the next three or four days.

He spun around on his chair, now thoroughly bored. He was stuck at the office, since the visit was supposed to come _sometime_ today. Knowing how some of these old lady clients were, Kogoro wasn't even sure she'd remember where the agency was.

What could he do, on a day like this...

The phone rang, startling Kogoro into a stifled yelp. Glaring at the phone, he picked it up, pressing it to his ear as he greeted gruffly, "Mouri Detective Agency."

"Ah, Detective Mouri? This is Hanashima Moriko."

"Ah, Hanashima-san!" Kogoro shouted enthusiastically, feigning excitement for the benefit of the day's client. "Will you be arriving soon?"

Moriko winced. "Actually, Detective Mouri, I was calling to cancel for today. Seems like my son found Aki this afternoon, so your services won't be required..."

"Oh." Kogoro deflated.

"I'm sorry," Moriko apologized.

"Yes, yes, it's fine," assured Kogoro with every air of indifference.

"I really am sorry," concluded Moriko regretfully before the line went dead.

Kogoro hung up the phone, irritated. What exactly could he do now?

The phone rang for the second time in minutes, but this time Kogoro wasn't surprised. He picked it up and muttered, "Hello, Mouri Detective Agency?" in a very flat voice.

"Ah, it's you, dear?"

Kogoro jolted, his knee hitting the underside of his desk at the sound of his estranged wife's voice. "Eri?" he half-shrieked.

Kisaki Eri sighed, the sound crackly over the telephone line. "Yes, well, I was just calling to tell you that I'll be dropping by the agency to pick up a jacket I accidentally left a few days ago when I came to visit Ran."

Furrowing his brow, Kogoro asked, "You came over a few days ago?"

There was a slightly disgusted exhale from the famous lawyer's side. "Yes, you were at a bar, I believe. Ran wanted my help in knitting a sweater for Shinichi-kun."

"That detective brat?" grumbled Kogoro.

Eri cleared her throat. "Anyway, I'll be over in ten minutes." She hung up.

Precisely ten minutes later, Eri knocked on the agency door. Kogoro opened it for her, letting her into the office.

"Good afternoon," Eri greeted primly. Kogoro shrugged as he moved to sit back at his desk, pretending to read a newspaper as he watched his wife look around the office for her allegedly missing jacket.

"Dear?"

"Huh?" Kogoro answered, hiding his face inside in the paper as he heard the sound of Eri's heels clicking closer.

"Did you hide my jacket?" Eri demanded, ripping the newspaper out of his hands.

"What?"

"I can't find it, and I'm almost positive I left it on the sofa over there. It's not there now."

"I didn't move it," Kogoro growled, glaring at Eri. "I never even saw a jacket on the sofa."

Eri's eyes narrowed to slits and she stepped away, planting her hands on her hips. "See, this is exactly why I left you in the first place!" she exploded. "You do childish things, and then refuse to own up to it!" She tapped her foot. "Pathetic!"

"Hey!" Kogoro defended. "I swear I didn't hide it! And what the hell are you pulling out of nowhere all of a sudden?!"

Eri tossed her head disdainfully. "I don't even know what I ever saw in you!" she yelled.

"I do!" Kogoro shouted.

"What?!"

"I know what _I_ saw in _you_!" Anger flashed in Kogoro's eyes.

Eri felt the unintended invitation for another argument, and she accepted it readily. "And _what _did you see in me?" she inquired, ready to give a biting retort.

Kogoro hesitated. He hadn't _actually _been expecting her to ask. He sank down into his chair, the fight suddenly and uncharacteristically gone out of him. "Well..."

Surprised, Eri dropped her hands from her hips.

"I saw that you were beautiful, and incredible, and smart... an amazing person..." Kogoro murmured.

Eri's cheeks were becoming violently red as he continued.

"You would make a great mother, and you were caring and compassionate... and you were sarcastic at times, but it always ended up okay..."

Kogoro looked up at Eri with a sardonic smirk. "And you were an awful cook."

A vein pulsed in Eri's forehead, and she spun on her heel and stormed out of the agency. But as she was almost at the door, Kogoro's voice stopped her.

"Say, Eri, this is a little random... but if I were to ask you to come live with Ran and me again, what would you say?"

There was perfect stillness for a moment. Neither Kogoro nor Eri moved.

_Ah, I knew it. She would definitely say no. _Kogoro coughed, and in doing so, almost missed Eri's quiet reply.

"I suppose... I would say 'yes.'"

And with that, Kisaki Eri walked out of the Mouri Detective Agency, a small, secretive smile on her face.

* * *

**So yeah. Entirely OOC and quite pointless. I've already got like three other drabbles like this, with other couples, written, so be on the lookout for more of this OOC disgrace.**

**Oh, and here's a short little omake, for the bored reader:**

Sitting in her car with a slight blush still on her face, Eri dug through her backseat, searching for her still missing jacket. Unfortunately, it was _still _nowhere to be seen, and she sat back, annoyed, but almost happily so.

There was a sudden knock on the window of her car, and Eri glanced over to see Ran standing there, hands pressed quizzically against the window. Eri rolled it down, and Ran stuck her head inside.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" the sixteen-year-old inquired curiously.

"I forgot my jacket when I was here to teach you how to knit Shinichi-kun's sweater," Eri explained.

Ran blinked. "I _just _dropped it off at your office. I'm so sorry. I should've told you before." A shadow crossed Ran's face. "Hey, was Dad home?"

"Yes, he was." Eri hummed noncommittally, eliciting a strange look from her daughter.

"Really? Did everything go... okay?" wondered Ran, searching her mother's face for any sign of post-fight irritation.

Instead she found only that secretive smile.

"Everything went absolutely fine, Ran."


End file.
